Collapsible table



April 21, 1953 R. ELLIOT ETAL l 2,635,842

y COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed Nov. l, 19455 ffy l Patented Apr. 21, 1953` COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Rand Elliot, New York, and Emil A. Weissman,

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,838

This invention relates to tables or like articles, portable collapsible tables which are adapted to be collapsed or folded into a reduced mass for storage or stowing away when not in use.

More particularly the invention relates to a certain type of table wherein the table supports comprise a pair of spaced uprights having a horizontal intermediate member pivotally mounted between the uprights and adapted to be swung through an arc from substantially a horizontal plane into substantially a vertical plane and vice versa. `The said member carries an arm or arms or the like which may be provided on their extremities with tray-like attachments or enlargements. This member therefore carries the said arm or arms through the same arc, and when the said member and its arm or arms lie in the horizontal position the device is adapted to serve as a table. The main object of this invention is the provision of releasable locking means to hold the said member securely in either the vertical or the horizontal plane mentioned, and more particularly to hold the said member and hence the said arm or arms so securely in the said horizontal plane that there will be no play or wobble whatever of the said arms with respect to the said uprights. It is quite obvious that such a table would be impractical if the said arms were subject to wobble, so that the instant invention overcomes what. would be a fatal defect in a table ofthe type mentioned.

The above as well as additional and more specie objects will be clarified in the following descriptionwherein characters of reference refer toV like-,numbered parts in the accompanying i.

drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig; l is a table of the type referred to above, shown in perspective, having the instant invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the said table, wherein, however, the tray carrying arms are shown folded into juxtaposition and swung approximately into the plane in which the upright upports lie.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

, 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-121) Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I0 indicates one and the numeral II the'other of a pair of upright frame members which are joined at the bottom by a cross-member I2 and at the top by asimilar member I3, the latter being adapted at the same time to `serve as a handle for carrying the table. A horizontal member orpanel I4 is pivotally supported between the uprights I0 and II by means of a pin, boss, or the like I5 registering rotatably in a suitable recess I6 in the upright II, `on one end, and by means of a pin, screw, or the like I1 passing through the upright Ill into the panel I4, at the other end. Two arms I8 are pivoted, intermediate their length, to the panel I4, and this pivoting may be achieved by means of a common pin I9 passing through both `arms I8 and the panel I4.` It is apparent that the arms may be swung in opposed arcuate directions :from the cross forming position shown in Fig. l to their coinciding position shown in Fig. 2, and vice versa. `Suitable limit stops, not shown since they form no part of the instant invention, are naturally provided so that the arms I8` may not be swung beyond the positions thereof shown in Fig. l, nor,` in being brought into mutually coinciding position, beyond that shown in Fig. :2.

Trays 20, of any desired shape, form or configuration, are secured or formed on the extremities of the arms I8,` andthat arm I8 which lies above the other arm I 8 whenthe arms are inthe extended horizontal position shown in Fig. 1, is or may be additionally provided with a similar tray 2|. These `trays may of course be used to 'support any articles desired; one use for the table 1s to serve as a cocktail or tea table which may be readily collapsed to put away when not in use and as readily extended and positioned wherever desired for use.

In the embodiment of the instant .invention illustratedin the drawing, openings 22, positioned equidistant from and in a common vertical plane with the pin I1, pass through the upright IU. Bushings 23 pass through these openings, having spacer flanges 24 `on their inner ends and being provided with screw 'threads 25. Nuts ZIE lock the bushings 23 in position. Stems 21 `are slidably mounted in the bushings 23. l On their inner ends the stemsA 21 have heads 28 which taper in the usual manner of wood screw heads, as shown. '.Ihe stems 21 are longer than the bushings 23 including the flanges 24 by an amount at least equal to the liner depth of the heads 28 so that when the stems are moved to the left, Fig. 3 to bring their right-hand ends flush with the ends of 3 the bushings the heads 28 will assume the positions shown in Fig. 3.

Secured at its extremities to the outer ends of the stems 21, in any manner or by any suitable means, is a bar 29. One such means is illustrated in Fig. 3 and consists in providing reduced extremities 3|] snugly registering in complementary openings in the bar 29. The pin I1 is preferably seated at its outer end in a countersink 3 I. A coiled spring is positioned between the bar 29 and the pin 21, one end seating in the countersink 3I and the other end being positioned by a screw 33 passing through the bar 29, at its other end. It is apparent that the spring 32 normally urges the bar 29 outward from Ithe upright I and hence normally draws the stems 21 to the right, Fig. 3, to position the heads 28 as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, against the flanges 24.

Two concentric arcuate slots 36, each substantially a quadrant in length circumferentially spaced a quadrant apart so that they are positioned diametrically Opposite each other, are cut through a plate or disc 34. By any suitable means, such as, for example, screws 35 passing through suitable openings through the disc 34, thelatter is secured to the right-hand end, Fig. 3, of the panel I4, thus positioning this disc between the said end of the panel I4 and the bushing anges 24 with the disc slidably over the flanges upon rotation of the panel I4 about its axis. At both extremities each slot 3S is provided with an enlarged circular terminus 31 whose wall 38 possesses substantially the same taper as the heads 28 and which is complementary toY the said heads. It is'to be noted that the radius of curvature of the slots 35 is equal to the distance between the axis of the panel I4 and the axes of the stems 21. It is thus apparent that when the panel I4 is so positioned that the heads 28 lie at ieither end of the slots 38 (each pin 21 passing through one of the slots 36 and having a diameter only very slightly smaller than the width of the `said slots), the force of the spring 32 will cause the heads 28 to be moved to the right, Fig. 3, into their respective termini 81, and owing to the coinplementary tapering of the said termini walls and the heads 28 the engagement between the heads 28 and the plate will be rm and thereby prevent anylplay between the same.

With the table in extended position ready for use, as shown in Fig. 1, the relative positions of the plate 34, the slots 36, and the stem heads 28, are yas shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Thus, the table arms I8 are completely restrained from wobbling. Likewise, when the arms 4are swung together and the panel, by grasping the ends of the arms, is Atogether with the arms swung through approximately 90 degrees into the position shown in Fig. 2 (the barr29 having meanwhile been pressed against the upright I0 to expel the heads 28 fromv their termini 31) the heads 28 upon release of the bar 29 will move into the termini 31 at the ends ofthe slots 36 opposite to the ends in which they are shown registering in Fig. 4. In the latter position, that is, the vertical position, of the panel I4 and the varms I8, play between the arms I8 and the uprights I0 and II will likewise be absent, but in this position the absence of such play is not of great consequence.

By means of the invention as illustrated and described, it is obviously a very simple matter for anyone to convert the table from the collapsed condition shown in Fig. 2 to the extended position shown in Fig. 1, and vice versa, by merely pressing the bar 29 in against the force of the spring 32 and rotating the panel I4 through the arc determined by its limit stop termini 31, and of course further swinging the arms I8 about their pivots as already described.

Obviously, modications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is to Vbe noted that a groove 39 is provided in one end of the panel I4, adjacent one edge, :for clearance of the upper stem head 28 in swinging the panel I4 into vertical position.

We claim:

A table comprising a pair of spaced uprights, a cross-member having one end thereof pivoted on a horizontal axis to one or said uprights, said member having an arm adapted to serve as a table secured thereto, a plate having a plurality of circumferentially spaced concentric arcuate slots therein, said plate being secured to the other end of said cross-member at right angles to said axis with the center of curvature of said slots lying in said axis, the other of said uprights having a like plurality of openings passing therethrough, said openings being equidistantly spaced from each other and being spaced from said axis at a distance equal to the radius of curvature of said concentric slots, each of said slots having the same arcuate length of substantially ninety degrees and being equidistantly circumferentially spaced from each other, stems slidably mounted in said openings, one of said stems registering in each of said slots, said stems having a length greater than the thickness of said other of said uprights, said slots having enlarged extremities having conical seats therein, said stems having conical heads on those ends thereof nearer said plate complementary to said extremities and registrable therein, a bar parallel with said plate rigidly joining the other ends of said stems on the outer side of said other of said uprights, and resilient means normally urging `said bar and hence said stems outward from said other of said uprights, said bar being adapted to be pushed in manually to disengage said Aheads from said conical seats.

RAND ELLIOT. EMIL A. WEISSMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,309,194 Gaston July 8, 1919 1,362,730 Mull Dec. 21, 1920 1,857,943 Dawicki, Jr. May 10, 1932 2,271,332 Ellington Jan. 27, 1942 2,529,801 Fisk Nov. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 222,276 Great Britain Oct. 2, '1924 

